Latch construction



Feb. 23 ,1926.' 1,573,866

J. B. ROGERS LATCH CONSTRUCTI'ON Filed May 23. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Feb. 23 1926. 1,573,866 7 I J. B. ROGERS V LATCH CONSTRUCTION Fiied May2. 192; s Sheets-Sheet 2 1,573,866 Feb. 23,1926. i B. ROGERS LATCHCONSTRUCTION Filed May 23, 192i 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 23,1926.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BpBOGEBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS.

LATCH CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed Kay 23, 1921. Serial No. 471,538.-

vTo/all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES 3. Rooms, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Latch Constructions, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to latch construction.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved latch whichwill be positive in its action. i

A further object of lily-invention is to provide a latch construction inwhich the latching member has a combination sliding and pivotal motion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a latch construction inwhich the latching member is disengaged by pushing it inwardly andswinging it upwardly.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved latchconstruction in which the latching member is held in latching positionby a retaining member, Which retaining member is released by the-memberwhich actuates'the latch.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow andfrom the appended claims.

In the drawings in which several embodiments of my invention are shown--Fig.1 is a side elevation of a latch construction showing the latchingmember in latching position; i

Fig. 2 is a View of the construction shown in Fig. l with the. latchingmember in unlatched position;

Fig( 3 is a side elevation showing another form of latch construction;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing another Fig. 10 is a sectionsubstantially on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2', the construction sho'wn thereincomprises a latching member 10,.a pivoted hook 11 with which thelatching member 10 engages, means 12 for mounting the latching member 10for pivotal and sliding movement, a pivot-ed retaining member 13 forholding the latching member 10 in latching position, and pivotedactuating member 14 for releasing the retaining member 13, and actuatingthe latching member 10 to move it from latching to unlatching position,and vice versa.

The hook member 11 is pivotally mounted ona pin 15, and iscounterweighted as indicated at 16 to normally hold this hook in theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Stops 17 and 18 are provided to limitthe pivotal movement of the hook 11. As will be explained hereinafter,the latch construction would be operative even if the hook 11 wererigid, but the hook is pivotally mounted in order that the latch may bebrought into latching position without the necessity for any pivotalmovement of the latching member 10.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the movement, it is herestated that in the construction shown in Fig. 1 there, are four fixedpivotal points or axes, as follows: the axis of the in 15 on which thehook member 11 is pivotally mounted, the axis of the pin 19, about whichthe latching member 10 is pivotally and slidably mounted, the axis ofthe pin 20, on which the actuated member 14 is pivotally mounted, andthe axis of the pin 21 on which the retaining member 13 is pivotallymounted. The retaining member 13, when in retaining position as shown inFig.1, holds the latching .member 10 in horizontal latching position byengagement with the shoulder 22 on the latching member 10. In order thatthis retaining member 13 may be lifted to reform of latch construction,parts being lease the latching member 10 so that the shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5 with thelatching member starting to unlatch;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing another form of latch construction;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing a latch construction suitablefor'e'levator work; and

this initial movement of the actuating member 14 is utilized to releasethe retaining member 13, the actuating member being provided with aspiral edge cam 23 which engages underneath the pivoted retaining member13, and lifts this retaining member upward out of engagement with theshoulder 22, duringthe initial movement of the actuating member 14. Thelost motion connection between the actuating member 14 and the latchingmember 10 is effected by providing the latchingmember 10 with a pin 24,for engagement with an arcuate slot 25,.in the actuatin member 14.

Stops 26 and 27 may e provided to limit the movement of the holdingmember-13, and prevent it being raised too high or dropping too low.

The means 12 for mounting the latching member 10 for pivotal and slidingmovement comprises a pair of rollers 28 mounted in a rocker 29, whichrocker is pivotally mounted on the pin 19. The rollers 28 operate in aslot 30 in the latching member 10, and provide an'anti-friction mountingfor the latching member.

In using the device, if the parts are in position shown in Fig. 1, andit is desired to move them to unlatched position, the

, operator takes hold of the handle 31 of the operating member 14 andmoves it to the right, flO'l'Il the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 2.- The first part of the movement of theactuating member 14 lifts the retaining member 13 without moving thelatching member 10.

At about the time the holding member 13 is lifted out of engagement withthe shoulder 23, or shortly thereafter, the end wall of the arcuate slot25 engages the pin 24, and starts the movement of the latching member10. The movement of the hook end 32 of the latching member is a somewhatpeculiar one, as indicated by the dotted line 33 in F ig. 2. which showsthe path of the point of the hook 32. As shown by this dotted line path,the first movement of the latching member 10 is inwardly at a slightlyupward incline to easily efiect the disengagement of the hook end 32 ofthe latching member 10 from the hooked end 34 of the member 11. Furthermovement of the actuating member 14 brings the latching member 10 to theposition shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that this construction issuitable for an elevator door, since if the latching constructure is-mounted on a sliding door 34 I the movement of the actuating member 31is such that the movement of this member tounlatch it, if continued,would cause the door to slide open. In closing the door and moving .thelatching member 10 to closing position, it is immaterial whether thelatching member 10 is moved to hori zontal position before or after thedoor is closed. If the door is closed first, the latching member 10 canbe moved to closed position by swinging the actuating member 14 tr m h pition m s ig-2' #9 the position shown in Fig.1. If, however, the latchinmember is swung to the position shown in ig. 1, before the door isclosed, the hook member 11 will simply be depressed by the engagement ofthe slanting surface 35 is closed. In this construction the retains ingmember 13, and the actuating member 14 may be the same as in the formpreviously described. In this form, however, the hook member 37 isrovided with a laterally extending boss or ug 38, .the outline of whichis shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the latching member 39 is alsoprovided with a laterally ofi'set boss 40, which engages the boss 38, asshown in Fig. 3. The boss 40 is hook-shaped in elevation, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, and this hook-shaped portion receives therounded portion of the boss 38. WVhen the actuating member 14 isoperated, the point of the latching member 39 follows the path indicatedin dotted lines at 42, the shape of the boss 40 being such as to permitthe latchin member 39 to move inwardly and upward y to disengage theboss 40 from the boss 38. The latchin member 39 is pivotally andslidably mounted on a pin 43, mounted on the door 44, this pin 43engaging the slot 45 in the latching member. The lost motion connectionbetween the actuating member 14 and the latching member 39 is effectedby means of the pin 46, which engages the slot 25 in the actuatingmember 14.

In this form, also, it is not necessary that the door should be closedbefore the latching member 39 is moved to horizontal position, since ifthe latching member 39 is moved to horizontal position and the door isafterward moved to closed position, the slanting edge 47 of the latchingmember will simply ride underneath the slanting edge 48 of the boss 38,lifting up the hook member 37 un til the boss 40 passes the boss 38,after which the hook member 39 will drop down into latching engagementwith the latching member 39.. a

The construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is substantially the same asthat shown in Fig. 1, except that in this form the latching member. 48engages a fixed pin 49, and the operating member 50 is provided with akeyeaael' 1. 1s he eg mate 1 m y the same as in the form scribed. Theactuating mem r 50 is operated by means of a key-controlled member 51,having a lost motion connection with the operating member 50 asindicated in Fig. 5, the lost motion connection being such that acomplete revolution of the key-controlled member 51 will give theoperating member a sufficient movement ofoscillation to move thelatching member 48 from latching to un latching position or vice versa.The lost motion connection between the key-controlled member 51 and theactuating member 50 is effected by providing the hub ofthe actuatingmember 51 with a chamber in whlch the key-controlled member 51 ismounted, the wall of this chamber being provided with a shoulder 52,which is engaged by the key-controlled member 51. Any suitable or usualconstruction may be provided, where by the. member 51 will bekey-controlled, such as a'Yale lock construction shown at 53, thekey-controlled member 51 being arranged to rotate with the barrel of thelock 53.

- The arran ement is such that a complete rotation of th key such as isnecessary for operating the lock 53 will move the latching member 48from one of its extreme positions to the other.

In all of these forms, it will be noted that the first movement of thelatching member is an inward movement, which readily effects thedisenagagement of thelatching member from the hook or fastening memberwith which it cooperates.

The construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is substantially the same asthat shown in Figs. 3 and 4, except as to the engagement between thelatching member 54 and the hook member 55. In this form the hook member55 is bifurcated, to provide two arms 56, which straddle the latchingmember 54. The arms 56 are provided with laterally extending bosses 57,shown in out line in Fig. 7, which engage the ends of a transverselyextending pin 58, which extends through the latching member 54 andlaterally on both sides thereof. The holding member 13 and the operatingmember 14 may be the same as in Figs. 3 and 4. In this form, when thelatching member 54 is being moved to unlatching position, its inner endmoves upwardly and inwardly between the arms 56, the pin 58 moving clearof the laterally extending bosses 57 during this movement.

- The latching member 54 can be moved to closed position either beforeor after the closing of the slidingdoor 59. If the door is closed beforethe latching member 54 is moved to latching position, this latchingmember will swing down into latching position from above, the inner endof the latchits m mber 4 ha ing down between the pzeviously dearms 56and the pin 58 moving into latching relation with res ect to the bosses57. If, however, the late ing member 54 is swung to horizontal positionbefore the door is closed, and the door is afterward closed, the end ofthe pin 58 will simply ride underneath the slanting ends 60 of thearms56, lifting the hook member 55 until the ends of the pin 58 pass thelaterally extendin bosses 57, when the hook member 55 will drop downinto latching relation with respect to the pin 58.

The construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is substantially the same asthat shown in Figs. 5 and' 6, except that in this form a geartransmission 58 is provided between the operating lever 59and theoscillating member 60, whereby the oscillating member 60 will be made totravel through a greater are than is traversed by the operating handle59. This enables a relatively short movement of the operating handle 59to effect the necessary oscillatory movement of the member 60 foroperating the retaining member 13, and the latching member 48. This geartransmission 58. comprises a segmental gear 60 mounted on the shaft 61on which the handle 59 is mounted, and a pinion 62 meshin the segmentalgear 60, and secured to t e oscillatory member 60 which operates theretaining member 13 and the latch member 48. It will be noted that thisconstruction also is suitable for an elevator door,'since if thelatching construction is mounted on a sliding door, the movement of theactuating handle 59 is such that a movement of this member to unlatch.the door, if continued, would cause the door to slide open. As the gearratio between the gear 60 and the pinion 62 is shown as about 2 to 1, itis only necessary to move the handle 59 through about 45 degrees toeffect the necessary movement for-the operation of the latching member48.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A. latch construction comprising a hook member, a pivoted hookoperating member, means for mounting said hook for pivotal and slidingmovement about asupport eccentric of the axis of the pivoted hookoperating member, said hook operating member having a pivotal connectionwith the hook member eccentric to the axis of the hook operating member.

2. A latch construction comprising a hook member, a catch for holdingsaid hook member in latching position, a pivoted member for operatingboth'hook and catch, means for mounting said hook for pivotal andsliding movement about a support eccentric to the axis of the operatingmember, said opcrating member avmg a lost motion conthe axis of themember, said operating member acting to release the catch during itslost motion movement and acting to ive the hook member its pivotal andsli ing movement after its lost motion movement.

3. A latch construction comprising a hook member, a catch for. holdingsaid hook member in latching position, a pivoted member for/ operatingboth hook and catch, means for mounting said hook for pivotal andsliding movement about a support eccentric to the axis of the o cratingmember, said operating member aving a lost motion connection with thehook member eccentric to the axis of themember, said operating memberacting to release the catch during its lost motion movement and actingto give the hook member its pivotal and sliding movement after its lostmotion movement, said lost motion connection comprising'a pin and.

slot connection, said slot being arcuate with its center inthe axis ofthe operating member. s v

4. A latch construction comprising a movable hook member, a holdingmember over which said hook member engages, means for mounting said hookmember for pivotal and 1 slidin mOVementlOngitudinally towards saidolding member and laterally away from said holding member for releasingthe hook member from the holding member and actuating means forpositively eflfecting said longitud nal and lateral movement. 7

5. A latch construction comprising a movable hook member, a holdingmember over which said hook member engages, means for mounting said hookmember for pivotal and sliding movement longitudinally towards saidholding member and laterally away from said holding member for releasingthe hook member from the holding member and actuating means forpositively effecting said longitudinal and. lateral movement, saidactuating means comprising a ivotally mounted hook operating memberaving a pivoted connection with said hook member for unlatching it andsaid mounting'means comprising a support eccentric to the aizis of isaid pivotally mounted operating member on which support said hookmember has a pivotal and sliding movement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JAMES B. ROGERS.

